Thera 1.18: Singala-Pitar
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(18):Singala-Pitar Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter I. Single Verses =18. Singāla-Pitar1= Reborn in this Buddha-age of wealthy parents at Sāvatthī, he married and named his son Singāla(ka), himself becoming known as Singāla's father. At a later time he threw off domestic ties, and left the world for the Monk’s order. The Exalted One(Buddha), contemplating his inclinations, gave him the meditative exercise of the idea of a skeleton. Taking it he lived among the Sākiyans at Suŋsumāragira, in the 23 Bhesakalā Wood.2 Now in that wood a woodland sprite, judging that the Thera would soon grasp the fruition he laboured after, uttered this verse: ---- 18 Aho buddhassa dāyādo bhikkhu bhesakalāvane|| Kevalaɱ aṭṭhikasaññāya apharī paṭhaviɱ imaɱ|| Maññe'haɱ kāmarāgaɱ so khippameva pahissatīti.|| || ---- 18 Lo! in the forest of Bhesakalā A Monk lives, heir of the Buddha's grace, Suffusing through and through this earthy frame With thought intent, austere, of skeleton.3 Curse me, if he do not swiftly drive All passion of the senses clean away! ---- Hearing that verse the Monk thought 'this fairy said this to me to call forth effort,' and willing unfaltering endeavour, he developed insight and attained arahantship(enlightenment). Thereafter he recalled the fairy's words, and breathed forth that very verse as the declaration of his anna(attainment). ---- 1 In the Commentary Singālaka-pitā. The name means 'jackal.' 2 This town (see Windisch, Māra u. Buddha, p. 150) and wood have until now been found in association, not with the Sākiyans, but with the Bhaggas (JPTS, 1888, pp. 63, 98). Either, therefore, there was more than one wood of this name, or the Bhaggas, whose locality seems doubtful, were a section of the Sākiyas. Cf. ver. 1208. 3 Kevalaŋ atthisaññāya aphari pathaviŋ imaŋ. Dr. Neumann sees in this line an allusion to the passage in Saŋy. Nik., ii. 178 ff., and referred to by Sumedhā (Sisters, p. 173): 'And bear in mind that tumulus of bones By creatures piled who wander through the world. Remember the great cairn of one man's bones From one reon alone, equal to Vipula.' Dhaminapala, on the other hand, ignores any such allusion and interprets the line as referring to the mode of asubha-saññā, or the kasiṇa called 'meditative exercise of bones' (atthika-bhāvanā). Pathavī, usually applied to the extended world, he explains as atta-bhāva-pathavī,''that extended or earthy attribute of the individual called, in the Nikāyas, ''ajjhattika-pathavīdhātu (personal extended element). That it is never called simply pathavī (the extended, or earth) may incline the critic to dissent from the Cominentarial tradition. And yet why should the latter have let slip this good exegetical opportunity, had the mountain of bones been indeed implied'? 'Having by the "bones-notion" wholly suffused his own or all beings' organism with the thought "it is bone!" and making that the basis of jhāna, he will put away all sensuous passion by the Non-Returner(liberated)'s Path ...' so runs the Commentary. ---- 1.2-818 Commentary on the stanza of =Siṇgālapitu Thera= The stanza starting with Ahu Buddhassa dāyādo constitutes that of the Thera Siṇgālakapitu. What is the orgin? It is said that ninetyfour aeons (kappa) ago from now he saw a silent buddha named Saturaṃsī wandering about for alms-food, became pious-minded, paid his homage, and offered a palm-fruit which had come into his own hand. On account of that act of merit, he was reborn in the divine world, did meritorious deeds now and then, wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths but in good existences (sugati), was reborn in the womb of a human-being at the time of the Blessed One Kassapa, became the good gainer of pious faith in the dispenastion (sāsana), became a monk and developed his mind on the perception of bone (aṭṭhikasaññā). Later, when this Buddha arose, he was reborn in a family home, in Sāvatthi and on coming of age he set up a family life, got a son and gave him the name “Siṇgālaka.” On that account people called him Siṇgālakapitā. Subsequently he forsook the household bondage and became a monk in the dispensation. Looking at his inclination. The Blessed One gave him the mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna) on the perception of bone (aṭṭhikasaññā). He took hold of it and dwelt amongst the Bhaggas in the forest of Bhesakaḷā on the crocodile hill (Susumāra giri). Then, the divinity residing in that forest recited the stanza beginning with “Ahū Buddhassadāyādo making manifest by way of pointing out his Arahantship for this purpose, namely, ‘it will make the fruition of mental development (bhāvanā) come into his hands (hatthagataṃ) but before long, for the purpose of provoking the monk’s effort (ussāha). 18. There, ahū means there is (hoti) Indeed this past tense word is in the present sense. Buddhassa means of the omniscient Buddha. Dāyado means spiritual heir, the taker and collector of the heritage of nine kinds of transcendental dhamma for his own righteous attainment (sammāpaṭipatti). In other words ahū means there was (ahosi); in the becoming of heir to Buddha of this manner of name, any body will become even now a fetter (vibandha); thus, is the significance. Therefore Buddha said thus:– “Maññehaṃ kāmarāgaṃ so, khippameva vahissati, I think he will forsake but quickly the fetter of sensual lust (kāmarāga).” Bhesakaḷāvane (in the forest which gained the name “Bhesakaḷāvana”) because it was obtained and seized all round by an ogre named Bhesaka, the place of Bhesaka or because of the abundance of wood-timber etc. He said, namely, “Kevalaṃ aṭṭhisaaññāya apharī pathaviṃ imaṃ,” in order to speak of the cause in the becoming of the heir of Buddha for that bhikkhu. There, kevalaṃ means completely without remainder. Aṭṭhisaññāya means by means of mental development (bhāvanā) contemplating on bone. Apharī means pervaded (patthari) by way of making up one’s mind (adhimuccana) as “aṭṭhi (bone).” Pathaviṃ means the earth of his own body (attabhāva). Indeed the body (attabhāva) has here been said as “pathavī (earth)” as in the such contexts as “so imaṃ pathaviṃ viccessati” and so on. Maññehaṃ means I think. There is such a reading also as “maññāhaṃ.” So means that bhikkhu. Khippameva means but before long; he will forsake and abandon the fetter of sensual lust; thus I think. Why? Because of the fact that the perception of bone is directly opposite to sensual lust. This is what has been stated:– Whoever, in a certain spot with the idea of bone gained, stood pervading all over his own body or bodies of everybody from the point of view of “aṭṭhi (bone)” even, that monk having made that bone jhāna as basis, developing clear insight (vipassanto) will but before long forsake his sensual lust (kāmarāga) by means of the right path of a nonreturner (anāgāmimagga) or the entire craving desire (taṇhā), the name so gained as “kāma (sensual desire),” because of its meaning of craving and as “rāga (lust)” because of its meaning of craving and as “rāga (lust)” because of its meaning of stainful excitement (rañjana), by means of foremost right path (aggamagga). On having heard this stanza, that Thera said to himself thus:– “This divinity said in this manner for the purpose of provoking my effort,” made his self-determination (adhiṭṭhāya) to have uncontradicted energy, developed clear insight (vipassanaṃ) and attained Arahantship. Therefore, it has been stated in the Apadāna:– “The glorious silent buddha, named Saturaṃsī, the self-becomer, the undefeated, rose up from his solitude and specially came out on his begging- rounds. I who had fruit in my hand saw the bull among men and approached him. Becoming pious-minded and good hearted I offered the palm fruit. It was ninety four aeons (kappa) ago that I then offered the fruit. I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of my offering of fruit. My depravity had been burnt; … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out. Having however attained Arahantship, he recited by way of his joyfully solemn utterance (udāna) that self-same stanza honouring the word spoken by that divinity. That even was the making manifest of Arahantship (aññā) of that Thera. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Siṇgālapitu is complete. ** ----